Teaching Development - Course Materials Review

Peer Version

PURPOSE:

Course
materials communicate important information about course content, policies
and procedures, and, in addition, convey messages about the atmosphere
of the course and the instructor's attitude. Time can profitably be spend
assessing course materials alone or with the aid of an objective outsider.
Because not all message conveyed in course materials are obvious (especially
to the person who has prepared them), the quality of the review is likely
to be enhanced with input from others. Fellow faculty members can offer
valuable insights about course materials.

ADMINISTRATION:

Colleagues
can review materials at almost any point in a course and what they are
given to review depends very much on the materials used. The following
list is not inclusive but does include examples of course materials that
might profitably be reviewed. Disregard items that are not relevant; add
others that might be.

Course syllabus

Study questions/review
materials

Textbook(s)

Supplementary
reading lists

Exams; an ungraded
& graded copy

Lecture outlines
provided students

Individually
developed materials

Visual materials

Handouts which
elaborate or supplement course content

Written descriptions
of assignments (if not included on the syllabus)

The colleague reviewer
ought to be instructed to use only the relevant portions of the instrument.
That instruction can be reinforced by crossing out or omitting those sections
on the instrument. Because course materials are idiosyncratic-put together
by individuals for use in widely differing instructional settings-not
all the relevant inquiries may be listed. Colleagues should be encouraged
to offer assessments in other areas if those seem appropriate. When sharing
course materials with a colleague, it is best to provide some background.
What are your major goals in the course? How do you hope to have these
materials help you accomplish these goals and objectives? When in the
course do you use the materials? Do you provide background commentary
in class? Answers to these questions put course materials in context and
make it easier for colleague reviewer to gauge their effectiveness.

INTERPRETATION:

We recommend
using a completed version of the form as the basis for a discussion about
the materials. Colleague assessments should always be illustrated with
examples. The basis for the conclusion needs to be pointed out in the
materials. And remember, the colleague's assessment is really only the
opinion of one person-a qualified person-but still possibly not right
or representative. For this reason, you should consider using the student
version of this form as well.

SOURCE:

This instrument
was developed by The Instructional Development Program at The Pennsylvania
State University. It may be copied, altered, or adapted by those using
the form.